Vincent Dreffs, Director of Catering Operations

Gaylord Opryland® Resort & Convention Center

"I am truly pleased to be a part of a team that consistently leads the catering industry in food and beverage offerings and flawless service techniques. Our award winning operation is my pride and joy."

Like most teenagers, Vincent Dreffs sometimes did things he shouldn’t and got into a little trouble with his parents. One time, the ramifications for being a bit of a rebel meant missing out on something any kid growing up in Michigan wants: a season ski pass. So, as is his nature, he found a creative solution. Dreffs earned a job at a popular mountain, and one of the perks meant skiing there free. The lesson his parents taught him ended up establishing a career path for Dreffs that would make the parent of any rebel proud.

Dreffs directs one of the largest operations at one of the largest resorts and convention centers in the world. He is the Director of Catering Operations at Gaylord Opryland® Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has worked in the Catering Department since 2005. In his position, he oversees Banquet Operations, Culinary Operations and Stewarding Operations. More than 900 STARS (employees) fall within his circle of responsibility, and he directs enterprises that serve more than 3 million guests annually. He also manages annual budget formulation, divisional forecasting and actual sales recapitalization. Because of his current role, Dreffs is an active member of the Directors of Catering Council, a committee that allows products and processes to be standardized across all the properties in the Gaylord Hotels brand.

Before being promoted to his current role, Dreffs served as the Assistant Director of Catering, a role that honed his skills in STAR motivation, goal attainment and process improvement. He has been successful in generating new revenue through menu formulation, check averages and maintaining a keen sense of industry trends through successful market and competitive analysis. It is Dreffs’s passion for food and beverage, combined with his creative skills and dedication to the profession, that has held his attention in a field that constantly changes and moves—a field where no two days are the same.

Dreffs began his Gaylord career in 1995, when he worked as a lead captain on Gaylord Opryland Resort’s General Jackson Showboat. He also served as a banquet captain at the resort before moving up as a manager of the resort’s premier steakhouse. There, he increased revenue by $1.2 million annually through training STARS on proper wine, cordial and cigar presentation, as well as streamlining private dining services. Since working for Gaylord Opryland Resort, Dreffs considers his participation in large-scale events to be the most rewarding part of his job. He has enjoyed playing a part in events associated with Meeting Planners International, American Society of Association Executives, Travel Industry Association’s POW-WOW and internal sales FAMs.

Dreffs’s most recent experience outside the Gaylord family included his position as a general manager of Qwest Center Omaha in Chicago. There, he served as the food and beverage liaison during the design, build and opening stages of this 1.1 million square-foot facility with meeting and exhibit space and multi-purpose arena with 17,000 seats.

Dreffs attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, where he studied Food Service Management. He later studied Business Administration at Eastern Michigan University. When he is not working, he loves using his creativity in baking and gardening, and he enjoys taking in the world-famous live entertainment scene Music City has to offer.